Laid back: A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel gets pampered for a show (Image: Getty)

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Eight in 10 of us no longer rate the bulldog as the best Britain mascot - and the Cavalier King Charles spaniel is snapping at its heels to take over, a study has revealed today.

The defiant bulldog spirit of wartime PM Winston Churchill belonged to old Britain, with almost seven out of 10 calling for a new breed to take over, the poll found.

And pet behaviourist Karen Wild found the soppy, floppy-eared Cavalier spaniel the best match for the modern British character.

She said: “In terms of like-for-like traits, few British dog breeds match the modern national character better.

"It might be a small dog but that doesn’t mean it is a lesser symbol for the nation than the bulldog.

“As a versatile breed, healthy Cavalier spaniels can be both laid back and relaxed but also incredibly inquisitive, active and determined, following their noses everywhere they go as their canine instincts dictate.

British pride: The Bulldog (Image: Daily Mirror)

“They can sometimes be loud, vocal animals when excited but by and large they are agreeable dogs that behave in a very polite way when at home with their human companions.”

The bulldog has been part of Britain’s heritage since the 1630s but came to epitomise the national spirit during the war years.